Catch Me When I Fall
by Goodwind
Summary: Sometimes, you do things that you regret, things that you never want to do again. Drabbles, various pairings, prompts, characters, and groups.
1. See Your Face Again

_Word Count: 216  
Warning: spoilers for chapter 300+  
Characters: Naruto, Sasuke, hints of Sakura, Sai, Orochimaru  
Pairings: NaruSasu_

_**xxx**_

* * *

The first thing Naruto thought when he saw Sasuke wasn't "_what in the hell are you wearing_" (though he was sure that Sakura was staring at his chest) or even "_welcome back_" (he was mildly miffed that Sai had beat him to threatening Sasuke).

No, Naruto's first thought was "_where in the hell have you been and why didn't you show yourself sooner bastard_".

Black met blue (he couldn't help it when his breath hitched) and he was reminded of all the things that had passed between them (smiles, laughter, fights, _family_) and all the things that Sasuke had left behind.

Naruto's second thought, however, was whether or not Orochimaru had dressed Sasuke because the Sasuke he knew would not be caught dead in something like _that _(in fear of fangirls but that was besides the point).

Immediately after that he was testing his chakra, trying to figure out how much he had left (he didn't think they could survive another Kyuubi outbreak and he didn't really want to find out) and looking for the quickest escape route (almost three years had changed a lot of things).

He knew almost instantly that Sasuke wasn't coming back without a fight and if it was a fight that the elder boy wanted than Naruto was sure as hell going to give him one.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	2. Begin Anew

_Word Count: 187  
Warning: none  
Characters: Sakura, hints of Naruto and Sasuke  
Pairings: NaruSaku, onesided SakuSasu _

_**xxx**_

* * *

He looks nervous when he tells her what she already knew she would hear. And, for once, she doesn't mind it when he says that they can't be together. She doesn't stop to dwell on the fact that he may have been relieved with her quite acceptance.

She thinks that she should move on, or at least try to. She thinks that she's found the perfect replacement, and some part of her mind tells her that he's only a replacement for now.

Sakura looks at Naruto's smiling face as he greets her, not with flowers as Lee would, or with nicknames as Sai would, but with stories of the adventures that he'd been on in their time apart. It made Sakura envious that she couldn't be there to see him during all his moments (though she was certain that sometimes he stretched the truth of those moments for her sake) but reminded herself that, now she could see them. Now she could be with him, she wouldn't let him down. Not again.

Sakura thinks that maybe, just maybe, she could grow to love him even more than she loved Sasuke.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	3. Colors of the World

_Word Count: 105  
Warning: none  
Characters: Naruto, hints of Ino, Sakura, Kakashi, Sasuke  
Pairings: none_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Naruto had never asked about his blonde hair, nor about his blue eyes (he had wondered at first but then forgot about it after he saw Ino). He had never asked why he was the only one born on a certain day (he didn't like to think about it).

The first thing that had really, truly, spiked his interest about his new teacher had been his silver hair and mask (what was behind it).

Being a shinobi is all about colors. Sakura was a light pink, Sasuke a dark blue, Kakashi-sensei a forest green, and he was both red and yellow (he liked the two added together).

* * *

**_xxx_**


	4. Rose

_Word Count: 104  
Warning: timeskip! spoilers  
Characters: Naruto, Sakura, hints of Sasuke  
Pairings: onesided NaruSaku, past onesided SakuSasu_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Sakura was pretty, she reminded him of cherry blossoms (he never stopped to think that maybe it was because her name meant the same thing). She had grown a lot and his childhood crush had flown out the window when he saw her again (his naivety was going to be the death of him with her strength).

He thinks that Sasuke doesn't know what he lost (besides himself and Konoha) and pesters Sakura-chan again to make her smile.

She pulls pink hair behind her eyes and smiles up at him with green eyes. He think she looks just like a rose in full bloom, only nicer.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	5. coming off you

_Word Count: 125  
Warning: Sasuke-in-a-bucket arc, time skip spoilers  
Characters: Naruto, hints of Sasuke  
Pairings: NaruSasu _

_**xxx**_

* * *

After their failed attempt to bring Sasuke back Naruto stopped eating red foods (he wouldn't tell why but some suspected anyway). His house underwent a change from orange, red, blue, and black to orange, blue, and black (though the blue was cut considerably as well).

He was almost grateful when he was forced to change his outfit (it gave him a chance to get rid of the blue all together) and quickly did so. His new style, a black and orange jacket with matching pants, made it easier to move around.

Naruto still doesn't like the sight of blood and won't go near anything dead (or injured for that matter). He still wakes up at night, tears on his face, and haunting red eyes in his mind.

* * *

_**xxx**_


	6. no longer there

_Word Count: 135  
Warning: Sasuke-in-a-bucket arc  
Characters: Sasuke, Naruto, Tsunade, Orochimaru, hints of Jiraiya  
Pairings: Possible SasuNaru_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Funny, he mused as he prepared his katon, how they said that only a sennin could kill a sennin. He was certainly no sennin so why did he find himself paired up against Tsunade?

(Thinking of Tsunade always reminded him of Naruto. Not that he needed much of a reminder since his former teammate was standing just feet away from him.)

As he watched his ex (though not really) best friend charge forward, whiskers darkening and growing, tails popping up one after another (they reminded him of the lava in a volcano he had seen on his travels), claws extending. Five feet. Four feet. Three feet. Two feet. A foot away and Sasuke blocked. As he looked back to Orochimaru he thought that four sennin were better than one since he certainly wasn't a sennin any longer.

* * *

_**xxx**_


	7. Reasons

_Word Count: 153  
Warning: spoilers for Sasuke-in-a-bucket arc as well as rescue!Gaara arc  
Characters: Naruto, Itachi, hints of Sasuke  
Pairings: Possible ItaNaru, Hints of NaruSasu_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was being watched. He could _feel _it, even if his teammates couldn't. He could feel the unwavering eyes on him, cold, calculating, and yet never revealing their color. He thought he caught a glimpse of them once. That night he had dreamt of red.

Uchiha Itachi often watched his prize, the strongest of the bijuu, the nine tiled fox. Or more specifically, it's container. The boy who was not quite a boy, the beast who was so deadly and yet so terribly _humane._ He watched for any sign of weakness and knew that the boy had more than enough of them.

He, better than anyone, knew that those fangs and claws weren't just for show. He knew that each of those chakra tails had a mind of it's own. He knew this because he had fought Naruto. He also knew that it was because of _him _that "his" dobe went to such lengths.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	8. Regrets

_Word Count: 98  
Warning: findTsunade! arc, hints of time skip  
Characters: Naruto, Sakura, hints of Gai  
Pairings: NaruSaku  
Other: Sister fic to Promises_

_**xxx**_

* * *

One of Uzumaki Naruto's biggest regrets was listening to ero-senin when he told him not to wear the green bodysuit.

Nearly three years later he returned to Konoha and hung it in the back of his closet, vowing to never take it out.

He broke that vow and two years and three months later when Konoha's Prideful Green Beast was killed in the battle with Sound.

After the ceremony he went home and took the green bodysuit out. Naruto wore it for a week straight until Sakura made him wash it (because, _damn it_, she was not having her house smell like week-old man).

* * *

_**xxx**_


	9. Promises

_Word Count: 98  
Warning: Sasuke-in-a-bucket arc  
Characters: Naruto, Sakura, hints of Sasuke and Gai  
Pairings: none  
Other: Sister fic to Regrets_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Every day Naruto glanced at a forehead protector that was not his and remembered a promise that he had made, and broken, but still intended to keep.

Uchiha Sasuke, the boy he had failed to save.

Every day that they were both in Konoha Naruto and Sakura exchanged smiles and pleasantries. Every day Naruto felt like he had let her down. (He hadn't but he thought he had)

The old picture of the first ever Team Kakashi lay in a draw full of regrets. Sasuke's forehead protector and the outfit that Gai had given him made their home there as well.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	10. Drip

_Word Count: 100  
Warning: Hints of sex  
Characters: Itachi, Naruto  
Pairings: ItaNaru_

_**xxx**_

* * *

He sighed. The dripping sound was getting annoying. All he needed to do was open his eyes then he could see enough to fix that damn drip. 

This place smells weird, was the first thought that came to his mind.

A noise brought him back to the present and he shakily lifted himself. Blue eyes met red ones before they faded to black. His eyes traveled to Itachi's hair, still wet from the shower, before meeting his gaze again.

He blinked and buried his head in the pillows, deciding that it wouldn't be wise to go against Itachi when he could barely move.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	11. Dreams and Nightmares

_Word Count: 101  
Warning: Hints of Sasuke-in-the-bucket arc.  
Characters: Naruto, hints of Sasuke and Itachi  
Pairings: Hints of NaruSasu, ItaNaru_

_**xxx**_

* * *

It had been the same for almost three years. Every night Uzumaki Naruto dreamed of blue, even when he was lying in another's bed. It haunted him like a nightmare – he could almost consider it one – and wouldn't go away. It reminded him of a promise that he fought to keep –but couldn't and knew it-.

The whispered words echoed in his mind.

"Don't go. Please. Don't go."

He had watched him leave, had been defeated and barely able to move, and hadn't been able to bring him back.

Lately he had been glad for the smidgens of black that invaded his dreams

* * *

**_xxx_**


	12. Only

_Word Count: 107  
Warning: hints of timeskip!  
Characters: Itachi, Naruto  
Pairings: Possible ItaNaru_

_**xxx**_

* * *

He didn't think that the bright color suited him (suited the monster behind the mask). The brilliant blue eyes would stare up at him before turning to an angry red, a red so deep that he was reminded of blood, of his own eyes.

The chakra that was produced came in the form of a powerful blast before the orange tails whipped around the young body, turning him into a deadly demon.

Itachi watched it all with interest, mentally documenting important facts and debating whether or not this theory would work.

He was, after all, only a demon container and Itachi's job was to figure out how to remove it.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	13. come back

_Word Count: 102  
Warning: chuunin exam arc  
Characters: Jiriaya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Saindaime, hints of Naruto  
Pairings: Possible OroJira_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Jiraiya hadn't really been surprised when he found out that Orochimaru was doing experiments on Konoha ninja to complete a forbidden technique. No, he wasn't, he couldn't have been because then that would mean he cared. 

Jiraiya didn't care; he had a young boy to look after and too many hard years to think about mistakes now.

Tsunade hadn't been surprised when Orochimaru disappeared and Sandaime-sensei declared him an S-Class Missing Nin. She had, however, been surprised that Jiraiya had gone missing as well. No one, Hokage included, could find him.

She had found him three days later heavily wounded with tears in his eyes.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	14. Past

_Word Count: 99  
Warning: spoilers  
Characters: Jiriaya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, hints of Shizune, Naruto, Yondaime  
Pairings: None_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Tsunade denied the past whenever possible, it only came out if she wasn't drunk enough (she kept five bottles hidden in a draw away from Shizune's eyes). 

Jiraiya avoided the past though sometimes his vision would blur and he would mistake one blond for another. ("Oi Yondaime, where have you been?") Naruto hadn't bothered explaining why he was still at the bar while the boy slept inside the hotel.

Orochimaru could care less about the past; it didn't matter to him (though he still refused to think about his genin days, happiness wasn't in his vocabulary. He had forced it out).

* * *

**_xxx_**


	15. Forgetting

_Word Count: 100  
Warning: chuunin exams and Sasuke-in-a-bucket arc  
Characters: Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsundae, hints of Kabuto, Anko, and Naruto  
Pairings: none_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Orochimaru found a boy with silver hair on the battlefield, alone but unafraid. The boy had looked at him curiously and he decided that he had found a new toy, one much more useful than Anko had ever been (one strong enough to survive without his help).

Jiraiya had become a hermit, all too happy to wallow in his own self-pity and ignore the world around him. He almost regretted the fact that he had failed in that too.

Tsunade disappeared a short time after Orochimaru and Jiraiya did, deciding that the best place was the one farthest away from painful memories.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	16. Sunflowers

_Word Count: 219  
Spoilers: None!  
Characters: Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke  
Pairings: None!  
Summery: Team Seven gets lost on the way back from Flower Country. What's that? I don't know. Pointless team seven goodness._

_**xxx**_

* * *

They were coming back from some mission (they all could care less WHAT they were doing there, they just wanted to get the hell out.). Team Seven was caught in Flower Country, which they had never heard of before (even Kakashi was stumped which couldn't be a good sign).

Sasuke looked around, Sharingan activated, trying to find some way out of this place. He discontinued his bloodline with a snort of disgust. He didn't want to see another f-ing flower for as long as he lived (which, if he didn't eat soon, he wasn't sure how long that'd be).

Of course the only thing around was... flowers. Sakura, being trained in medicine, pointed to a large group of yellow flowers (it reminded Sasuke of Naruto) and said that sunflowers were good in tea (Naruto blanched at this.). She then said, after a quick examination, that they were edible.

Tea forgotten, Naruto practically pounced on the flowers. He thoughtfully chewed on a petal (at which Sakura paled and Sasuke guessed that you weren't' supposed to eat the petals) before spitting it out with an overdramatic "ewwww".

Half an hour (and much cutting, falling, and scraping) later Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke sat to enjoy the sunflower seeds (Sakura reminded Naruto several times that, while seeds were edible, petals were not).

* * *

_**xxx**_


	17. Death by Numbers

_Word Count: 388  
Spoilers: If you don't know who Tsunade is.  
Characters: Jiraiya, Naruto, mentions of Sakura, Tsunade, hints of Sasuke  
Pairings: None. Can be read as NaruSaku, JiraTsu if necessary. _

**xxx**

* * *

Sakura doesn't know that Naruto has killed someone before -blood on his hands, tears on their face, why aren't I crying. Why aren't I sad? - and he decides that there are some things that she shouldn't know -Naruto, she chides, you can stop smiling now. No use acting innocent when I know you did it. - 

Naruto is all about power and strength and speed. (Sasuke is too, he doesn't like to think about it though) And he'd be more likely to shove something into your stomach than he would to lop off your head with an axe. He prefers to use his hands, to know that the person is dead and not getting up (though if their head is fifty feet away from their body then it'd be safe to assume that they wouldn't be moving anyway).

Jiraiya taught him many things on his trip. He taught him strength and how to harness his. He taught him power and how much is too much and when to stop. He taught him speed and how to become a decoy. He did not teach him how to deal with death, Naruto taught him a thing or two about that. _(Kage Bunshin is like me, so if it dies, I die, ya know?)_

For the first kill Jiraiya was standing back, waiting for the inevitable breakdown (the only one who hadn't, he remembered, had been Orochimaru, then he quickly ended that train of thought). When it didn't happen he began to worry _(Listen Jiriaya, if someone doesn't break down immediately then you'd better get them to a doctor.)_ and when he didn't start laughing madly he began to hesitantly approach. _(Ne, ero-senin, why aren't I crying? I'm not sad at all.)_ Jiriaya sucked in breath and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder _(it's alright, you don't have to cry.). _He didn't mention that Tsunade had been worried about this, that Naruto wouldn't care.

And when he sends the next reports back to Konoha he decides to add a little in, saying that Naruto was broken up over his first kill and terrified of doing it again. He'd make sure that there was enough time and enough kills in between now and returning that the Hokage didn't ask questions. Because, he decided, there were some things that Tsunade didn't need to know.

* * *

**_xxx_**

_If you have any questions then please feel free to ask via reviews or PM. _


	18. Madara

_Word Count: 524  
Spoilers: If you don't know who Madara is then you've just been spoiled.  
Characters: Uchiha Madara, Shodai Hokage, mentions of Nadaime Hokage, Tsunade, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke hints of Uchiha Itachi  
Pairings: Can be read as MadaraShodai, possibly MadaraNadaime, NarutoSasuke  
Summery: Uchiha Madara's past, pure speculation on my part. Watch me be proven wrong. Based on pokefreak's (deviantart) idea that Madara is the other statue at The Valley of the End. _

_Edit 1/5/07: Fixed some small grammatical and time errors._

_**xxx**_

* * *

Uchiha Madara was thought to be a failure, a fluke, of the main family. At age ten his Sharingan had not bloomed and he had yet to graduate the academy (a feat which was managed by his great-nephew at seven several decades later) and was marked the black sheep of the Uchiha. 

When he did pass, two years later, he was placed on a team with the future Shodai Hokage. The two teammates, genius' in their own right, clashed terribly, much like Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke almost a century later.

Five years later, at seventeen, during a suicide mission taken by his team he awakened the Sharingan, and not only that; he awakened the third swirl at the same time. From then, he proceeded to look into acquiring the, then unknown, next level of Sharingan. Thanks to his late awakening he heroically saved his team and they came back in one piece. It was then that he was awarded with the title of the future Shodai's best friend, a title that would come in use later.

Four years after that, Konohagakure was founded by his then ex-teammate and best friend, the Shodai Hokage. Unknown to most the name came from a late night drinking (and planning) session between Madara and the soon-to-be Shodai and Nidaime Hokages.

Two years later found Uchiha Madara as the Shodai's most trusted companion and the overall ANBU captain. While the Shodai could no longer go on missions he had his friend give him detail-by-every-freaking-little-detail report, resulting in many difficult, if not deadly missions and Madara's fame spreading even farther than the Shodai's own.

Another year and a half passed and the two friends got into an argument, resulting in Madara's leaving and Shodai's subsequent following. They met again at what was to be called the Valley of the End and fought.

After a gruesome battle, ending in a mortally wounded Shodai and a grief wrought Madara they sat together by the waterfall they had carved together and waited. The Shodai, of course, had forgiven the Uchiha immediately, saying that it was his fault and not worry about it. As his best friend died Madara underwent a transformation, his eyes, blinded by tears, combined the spirals and made a new form of Sharingan, one that he would later regret discovering.

Shodai's little brother found them and acted as a Hokage should, performing his duties and bringing the Uchiha back to Konoha's waiting arms, his older brother resting in Madara's arms since he refused to release him. Most drew their own conclusions upon seeing them, things were never confirmed but Tsunade, who was one of the few to see the two, now has a deep hatred for any and all Uchiha.

Later the Nidaime had statues constructed of his elder brother and best friend while Madara's name became known in an even farther range, through the excellent work he did for Konoha.

His name eventually reached the Kyuubi who later, intrigued by the human, met him on a journey and due to Madara's overpowering of the beast, did not step foot in Konohagakure until well after the man's death, which happened five years later.

* * *

_**xxx**_

_I think it'd be interesting to see Madara's past. _


	19. there is a hole

_Word Count: 106  
Spoilers: Sasuke-in-a-bucket arc. Set during timeskip before Team Yamato comes about.  
Characters: Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, hints of Sasuke  
Pairings: NaruSaku, kinda SakuNaruSasu  
_

**_xxx_**

* * *

They are training, Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and a ghost.

Kakashi leaves and Sakura leans against a tree, catching her breath (and the ghost is there, always there).

She closes her eyes for a second and is surprised to see Naruto standing in front of her when she opens them once more.

She hadn't even heard him move.

Naruto slowly, so very slowly, reaches up and cups her left breast, running his hand lightly over her nipple, enjoying the quick 'thumpthumpthump' of her heart.

Says: "There is a hole."

And she thinks 'yes, there is a hole.' and places her hand on top of his.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	20. better when i bleed for you

_Word Count: 285  
Spoilers: None, none at all. Set after/during time-skip!  
Characters: Naruto, Sakura hints of Kakashi, Sasuke  
Pairings: NaruSaku, hints of KakaSaku, SasuSaku  
Warnings: Erm... darkish. I guess. Disturbing, or it could be. Read at own risk._

_Edit 1/10/07 - Fixed spelling errors. _

_**xxx**_

_

* * *

_The wound was only skin deep, the blood leaking out in surprising portions and his eyes were fixed on the crimson liquid thinking -_moremoremore_- and he raising his hand, nails poised, and scraping, ripping the wound wider -_widerwidermoremore_- and the blood was pouring now. He lowed his head and licked it, once, twice, savoring the metallic taste, thinking that he had never had anything that tasted as good as this in this life. 

His eyes moved over to his companion, pink hair framing a shocked face, green eyes opened wide in horror and she was at his side and all he could think about was that it would taste a thousand times better if the blood was hers.

He grabbed her harshly, tugging her to him and lowering his head, teeth scraping at her collarbone, moving to her neck, and back. He looked up briefly, blue eyes flashing red, to meet hers. He bit down and she let him. Her hands fisted in his hair and she pulled him closer and he was determined to suck every ounce of life out of her so that she would be his -_hishishis_- and no one's else's (not a black haired boy, not a grey haired man).

Her hands were pulling harder now and she was murmuring something into his skin from where her head lay against his shoulder. He withdrew and stared at her again, lips and teeth painted a brilliant red and she leaned in, licking the blood away, taking back her life, and sticking her tongue in his mouth -_mineminemine_- to give it to him. And he was lapping it up, taking it, accepting it and biting his tongue to give his in return.

_

* * *

_

**_xxx_**

_Err... wow. This always happens after I read The Engine Driver's stuff. And, StupifiedNaruto, if you read this then there is ItaNaru one the way... I'm just kinda... stuck. headdesks After I write the last part then I'll post it.  
_


	21. Better Left Lost

_Word Count: 214  
Spoilers: None.  
Characters: Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata  
Pairings: SasuSaku, NaruHina, NaruSaku, SasuNaru (onesided)  
Summary: Sasuke found that he had won nothing._

**_xxx_**

* * *

He won, he had finally won. He's finally beaten that idiot at his own game. 

It had been so easy, almost too easy really, the way that he had come in and swept his ex-teammate off her feet and into his arms. It hadn't taken much to woo her, a smile here, a touch there and she was putty in his hands just like the old days (and he liked it, just a bit, and she hated it, hated herself).

Naruto had been crushed when he had heard the news. When it had happened he had been away on a year long mission and, now that he thinks about it, that may have had something to do with the reluctance in her agreement. Or it may be the reason for her agreeing at all.

After all, he had gone off with Hinata for the mission.

As he stood in the doorway now, watching his children (the heirs) play with Naruto's white-eyed ones (and Naruto was so happy to have them) the blonde looks over and behind him and smiles. He realizes then that his wife just walked through the door.

Sakura returns it with a small nod, a small but true smile on her face, and, watching Naruto's happy face, he wonders if he's really won anything at all.

* * *

**_xxx_**

_Anyone want to help me get my sanity back? I just wrote a SasuSaku and NaruHina. Help. Please._


	22. untitled

_Word Count: 214  
Spoilers: None.  
Characters: Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura. Mentions of Tsunade, Tenten, Hinata, Ino  
Pairings: None. Not really.  
Summary: Thanks to his senseis Naruto finds himself at the onsen where he makes the mistake on commenting on breast sizes. Sakura is not pleased and Kakashi isn't taking the blame (though it was his fault, I swear Sakura-chan!)._

_**xxx**_

* * *

"Kyaaaah!" The sound of not one, not two, but four girl's screams echoed through Konoha.

"Help me Kakashi-sensei!"

Alright, so maybe hiding behind Kakashi wasn't one of his brightest -or best- moments, after all, what was he thinking when he thought that Kakashi might save him.

The elder man had only looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow before stepping cleanly out of the way for the murderous kuniochi.

"I-I didn't mean it Sakura-chan! I promise!"

"The hell you don't Naruto. It's just your luck that I found you instead of Tsunade-shishou."

No, Naruto thought blankly as he flew face first into a wall, no he wasn't. He was screwed either way.

Then again, the one who was at fault here was his stupid perverted sensei, both of them in fact. Stupid old men and their stupid peeking habits.

One good thing that happened though was that he got to see Sakura (and Ino, and Hinata, and Tenten) naked. He just made the mistake of comparing breast sizes and the previously blushing Sakura went on said murderous rage.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	23. Acceptance

_Word Count: 319  
Spoilers: None really. Maybe a bit for Naruto's new jutsu but it doesn't go too into it.  
Characters: Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Itachi  
Pairings: NaruSaku  
Summary: Not everyone wants to be saved and sometimes you have to learn to let go._

_**xxx**_

* * *

He didn't want to do this (didn't want to, didn't want to, don't do it, _oh God _don't do it) but it had to be done. So he quickly pressed his hands together, feeling the wind grow and then contract and shoved it through his once best friend's chest and it all seemed like a horrible nightmare.

He fell to his knees, horrified of what he had done, but then Sakura was there. Sakura was there and she was smiling and she was saying, you did it, you got him back and healing him and hugging him and he thought that she was beautiful in that instant.

They tied him up and dragged him home, drugged but still resisting. They locked him up and lived their lives, visiting as often as possible. Convincing him to come back, come back, because they already had him but he wasn't _here_.

_He was never there, never, ever, ever. _

It was a mistake they said, one that could have happened to anyone, really, they had insisted.

Uchiha Sasuke had gotten ahold of a knife and slit his own wrists, wrote in his own blood, _thanks for nothing_. And it was just like him, so like him that Naruto had had to laugh. And so he did.

Sakura cried. Naruto cried. Konoha cried. Uchiha Itachi really, really didn't care. Naruto punched him. Hard. As many times as he could until Sakura had to rescue him this time because Itachi was so, so angry and was determined to get Naruto to their leader this time.

He comforted her in bed, the night they came back from that messed up fairy tale and she had accepted. He woke up to salt on his face, in his wounds, on his chest and a warm body pressing against his.

_'Thanks for nothing bastard. Like hell. I got everything. We're just missing you.'_

And this time, this time they couldn't save him. This time they didn't try.

* * *

**_xxx_**


End file.
